Springfield (Ohio) linebacker Trey DePriest made the short drive to Columbus (Ohio) over the weekend to take in the sights and the sounds of Ohio State. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound linebacker has been the object of many school's desires and just recently NC State jumped into the mix as well with an offer to the 2011 star.

The junior day was far smaller than many others in the past and that suited DePriest just find as he works at identifying what he is looking for in a program as well as a school.

"It was cool and there wasn't a whole bunch of people there so you really got to speak to the coaches individually," DePriest said. "Especially for me because I had already seen the facilities."

This past weekend was obviously not DePriest's first visit to the Ohio State campus with the proximity to where he lives. So while other players were getting their first tastes of what Ohio State had to offer in its facilities and the like, DePriest was able to take a little bit of a different path.

"I went up for a junior year last year even though I wasn't a junior," DePriest said. "So they said I really didn't need to see the facility because I had already seen it."

And how did DePriest use his time away from the rest of the group?

"I got to talk to talk to the coaches more and got a lot more information," DePriest said.

One thing that DePriest noticed for sure is that Ohio State will be losing three linebackers after the 2010 season and will have room opening up at that position. Currently Ohio State has two linebackers committed (with a chance at Jordan Hicks) and even with those numbers Scott McVey figures to play the Star position and Chad Hagan could potentially end up moving as well.

DePriest is in no hurry to make any sort of decisions at this point and Ohio State told the senior-to-be to take advantage of the process and see what is out there.

"Coach (Luke) Fickell was encouraging to take my visits so I really know where I want to go," DePriest said.

This upcoming season could be a big one for DePriest's Springfield high school team. Last season the team only had a small handful of seniors and several were not in the starting lineup. DePriest pointed out that this year the team is older and should be able to make some noise in the state of Ohio.

"As a team I really want to make it at least past the first round of the playoffs," DePriest said. "Because we got a taste of it so now we are hungry."

While a few 2011 stars have been able to start identifying a smaller list of schools that they are the most interested in DePriest has taken it all in stride.

"I am just chilling, the offers are coming and I am just looking," DePriest said.

But Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama and Virginia Tech are a few of the schools that DePriest did mention as having piqued his interest so far.